


Good Directions (& Fresh Berries)

by freestylinson



Category: Harry Styles (Solo) - Fandom, Larry Stylinson - Fandom, Louis Tomlinson (Solo) - Fandom, One Direction (Band)
Genre: ... or is he?, Cityboy!Louis, Cowboy!Harry, Fluff, Harry can't stop trying to impress him, Harry offers directions, He also teaches Louis how to [redacted], He's just passing through, Inspired by a Country Song, Louis gets lost, Louis is charmed as all hell, M/M, Multi, Other, Strangers to Lovers, harry - Freeform, larry - Freeform, larry stylinson - Freeform, louis - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:27:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22748578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freestylinson/pseuds/freestylinson
Summary: Harry is a small town garden farmer and Louis is just passing through."A left will take you to the interstateBut a right will bring you right back here to me..."- Billy Currington, Good Directions
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Harry/Louis, Larry Stylinson
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	1. Peaches, Plums, and Berries

**Author's Note:**

> Playlist to come!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy. xx

“Hazza, my god,” Barbara hums. She takes the back of her hand and wipes the juice dribbling from her chin. “You must be putting something in your water ‘cause, seriously, you have got the best fruit in town.”

Harry smiles with a playful roll of his eyes. He’s always loved to hear people compliment him. But, really, it’s nothing. All he does is grow fruit and if you ask him, Mother Nature is the one doing all the work. Harry simply manages her.

“Thanks, Barbie,” he offers politely, handing her a basket full of various fruits before turning to stock his shelves.

Harry has known Barbara his entire life. Well, at least since as far back as he can recall. He remembers running around with her in church as a toddler, back when she was a teenager in charge of the nursery. He remembers, once he was old enough to sit with the rest of the congregation, her stopping by after service to let him know she missed his goofs. He remembers joining the choir as a teenager because of her support. Harry stopped going to church as often once he came out, but by that point they’d already had quite the friendship- regardless of the age difference. Though she is only fifteen years his senior.

“Haz, if you want to make any profit you’re going to have to stop doing this,” she says. Each week he comes with a basket of his freshest picks for her. It is partly a thank you for always supporting him, but it’s also just because. She’s always been unnecessarily kind to him. It only feels right to treat her with that same kindness.

“But you have to let me know if I should add this stuff to the produce list,” he insists.

Harry began tending to his mums garden the year after she passed. Which was a bit over two years ago. In the past few months, however, he’d been planning to open a market on the weekends to put himself through college. He’s been in business now for all of three weeks and things are looking good in Harry’s opinion. Barbara was his first customer and she is his first regular- even though he's just opened up and Harry is always giving her free fruit.

“Besides, you’ve been such a big help in making this happen I could never take your money.” Harry gives her a look, one that says ‘don’t even think about it’ as she reaches a hand into her purse.

Barbara has told all of her friends about his stand, “the one off Hillman Road about eight miles out from the old country bar.” By now, the whole town should know about it. Soon enough they’ll find themselves on this side of town and Harry will be here waiting. With his peaches and plums and berries, etc. His selection isn’t very impressive— yet— but he’s working on it. He hopes to one day sell jams and pies as well. Perhaps some flowers. Who knows? Harry is constantly day dreaming of different ways he can do this.

“Well then maybe you can take my advice. I’ve been thinking and Harry, you really need to get yourself a sign,” the lady suggests.

Harry finishes setting up shop and wipes his hands on his apron as he takes a seat at the small picnic table beside his stand. There’s a large tree casting shade above them and the weather is just lovely. He sighs.

Harry gets the feeling today is going to be an exceptionally good one.

“Is that so, Barbie?” he asks rhetorically. “Are you telling me you haven’t noticed my fliers around town?”

“Of course I have, but darling if you’re going to run a proper business, you’re going to need a proper business sign,” she says matter of factly.

Harry shrugs. She does have a point. Sitting on the side of the road- a very long road at that- is a little too inconspicuous. He just hasn’t had much time to make a sign. Besides isn’t it obvious? By the stand being there in the first place. Full of fruits and veggies.

“Ahh ah ah- before you say anything… I’ve already got supplies and you know my little cousin is the best artist. We can take care of the whole thing for you.”

“I— that’s very sweet, Barb, but you don’t have to do that for me,” Harry says with a breathless chuckle. The amount of support and generosity this woman has never ceases to amaze him.

Barbara laughs. “I know we don’t have to, but we want to.”

Harry doesn’t think he can argue with her anymore (he can’t) so he simply offers her a friendly eye roll and a warm smile.

“After work I’ll let him know you’re expecting a new sign very soon,” Barbara says as she stands to her feet. She grabs her fruit basket from the table and heads to her car. Harry only shakes his head at her insistence and waves her off.

“I expect to see you on stage tonight,” she calls out from her opened window, her arm hanging out as she points to Harry. “You’ve got customers to woo.” With that, and a wink, Barbara drives off.


	2. What's The Problem, Baby?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for coming back! Hope you enjoy.

Sometimes all that you’ve got just isn’t enough. Sometimes your parents don’t understand you and your siblings are too young to get it. Sometimes, you realize, maybe your friends don’t either. 

That’s about the time you need to set off for something more. So, that’s exactly what Louis decided to do. It's taken some time, years actually, for Louis to come to terms with the fact that he is dignified in putting himself first for once. To realize that it is not selfish to want better for himself. 

When your own family refuses to accept that you're unhappy, when they call you ungrateful for even attempting to set boundaries... What do you do? What can you do, aside from get the hell out of there? Louis doesn't even want to think about it anymore. The decision has been made. He's not turning back now. Or any time soon.

“So she said what’s the problem, baby?” Louis sings along. Well, more like belts.He’s going well over 80 miles an hour down a long, empty road with his windows down and the radio blaring. This, Louis decides, is the epitome of freedom. 

He’s got three supersize slushee cups stacked in the cup holder, chip bags and fast food wrappers taking up the seat beside him. The lad has been on the road for God knows how many hours on end. Really, he should stop to rest some time soon but he’s feeling unstoppable now. 

Louis is so far from where he started and it’s like he can finally breathe. 

Call him childish, call him stupid, call him careless, call him foolish. Louis has heard it all before but he has always, always, always known he has more going for himself. More than the standard high school to college to big business, cookie-cutter kind of life. More than going to university and interning with some company that stands for things that just don't sit right with Louis. More than big, fancy parties with racist, homophobic, holier-than-thou guests. More than mindless chatter with ignoramus teammates who want nothing more than to play football and drink. Call him any name you want, but don't call him one of them.

At 20 years old, Louis has roughly $800 to his name, a 1983 Volkswagen Rabbit with a trunk full of clothes— amongst other crap, and absolutely no idea where the hell he is going. Or even where he is for that matter. Nevertheless, he feels like singing, he feels like dancing. As much as one can when they’re behind the wheel. 

“Well baby, I surrender to the straw-berry ice-cream never-ever-ender oh this love...” Louis trails off, turning down the radio dial as he takes the time to actually take in his surroundings. He hums to himself as he pulls over to the side of the road to check where he is on a map. Only out here in the middle of nowhere his phone hasn’t got a connection, let alone a signal. He really should’ve gotten himself a map. One that he could hold in his hands.

Sighing heavily, Louis returns to the seemingly never ending road. No point in sitting around and wasting daylight. Louis has to find a gas station or some kind of store to buy a proper map. A sign of civilization would be nice.

He’s been driving all day and now that he’s truly out of the city, the roads are impressively vast and empty. It should be more intimidating, shouldn’t it? Being so far away from all you know and headed toward something unknown. Louis finds it hard to have any worries when the sun shines down on him the way that it does. 

He doesn’t have a destination in mind exactly. His plans were and remain to: get the fuck out. Somewhere he could be away from all of the stupid elitist snobbery and high class heartlessness. Somewhere he could be his own person and grow at his own pace on his own terms. 

Louis isn’t some renegade teen escaping the suburbs to peruse some big Hollywood career, he’s just tired of being expected to do things that go against himself in order to make others happy or keep up with some bullshit appearance. Back home he had to make pretend that everything was fine and dandy all, the, time. He had to watch his mouth about what he said, how much he said, and who he said it too. There was just too much to keep up with. Everything around him was nothing more than a hoax, a mirage.

The worst thing about it all? Louis had no one to talk to. No one who would hear him out about all the conflict in his heart and his mind. 

All Louis wants is to find some peace and quiet. He wants to take a step back from this idea of who he should be and fall into who he is. His whole life has been about other people. This time, it’s all about him. 

So he puts the pedal to the metal and continues on his way.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading. Let me know where you think the story goes from here....
> 
> Updates biweekly. (:


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